1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a hanger clip system for use with suspended ceilings and more particularly to a clip which can be easily installed on a suspended ceiling to provide a means for conveniently hanging display articles for merchandising purposes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In many commercial retail establishments it is common to find product advertising or other point of purchase displays used for promotional purposes. Such articles are often intended to be used only temporarily and not as permanent fixtures. Accordingly, they are frequently constructed of lightweight materials such as chip board, paper, foam or even as plastic inflatable articles. These articles can be designed to be free standing or hanging devices. In one common form, display devices are designed to be suspended from the ceiling of the surrounding room where they are out of reach by the establishment's customers but are readily visible.
A typical commercial establishment is constructed with relatively high ceilings and often the ceilings are of a type known as a drop or suspended ceiling. This type of ceiling permits the commercial space to be built out with many of its mechanical systems such as heating, ventilating and air conditioning, electrical, communications, fire protection and the like to be installed overhead and concealed by the suspended ceiling. A common design of a suspended ceiling includes a series of metal T-bars connected together in a regular geometric grid and suspended by simple wire hangers over the room space. The grid is preconfigured to receive certain standard sized ceiling panels which may be decorated in a variety of ways. One such panel is a lightweight fiberglass panel covered with a textured plastic laminate. The T-bars are inverted to define opposed flanges on which the panels rest by gravity. An advantage of these ceilings is that the panels can be manually removed without tools if access to the overhead mechanical systems is desired.
Because they are generally lightweight in construction, merchandising displays can be readily hung from T-bars of a suspended ceiling system. Accordingly, attempts have been made to design fastening systems of some type which can be conveniently installed on a T-bar to hang a display. For example, a hook of some sort may be used to suspend a suitable cord with the hook engaging a flange of the T-bar. However, a disadvantage of such a system is that the hook could be too easily detached from the T-bar causing the associated display to fall from the ceiling. Further, most ceilings are of such a height that a ladder would be needed to install such a hook on a typical suspended ceiling.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a hanger clip for use with suspended ceilings which can adequately support a typical merchandising display with a positive means for locking the clip to the ceiling. It is further desirable to provide such a clip which can be installed with relative ease and without the need for the installer to use a ladder or other elevating means. Still further, it is desirable to provide such a hanger clip which can readily be supplied with a suitable, conveniently useable tether cord for hanging a display and wherein the tether cord can be quickly adjusted to proper length and positively secured.